Strap tensioning device



Feb. 7, 1939. A. E. ADAMSON STRAP TENSIONING DEVICE .Filed April 5, 19372 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

ADAMS O N ATTORNEY.

. ANDREW E Feb. 7, 1939. .A. E. ADAMSON STRAP TENSIONING DEVICE FiledApril 5, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ANDREW E. ADAMSON M 4,2 M

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRAP TENSIONINGnnvrcn corporation of Ohio Application April 5, 1937, Serial No.,135,187

10 Claims.

This invention relates to a strapping tool and more particularly to atool for tensioning the strapping material about a box or other objectto be bound. The tensioning device is of the positive type and to thisend utilizes a rotatable drum or spindle to which is attached an end ofthe strapping to be wound thereon for tensioning the same. The functionof the tensioning tool is to tension the strap or band about the articleto be bound and to maintain such tension while overlapped portions aresealed together to permanently maintain the tightness of the band.

Heretofore, in band tighteners of the type under consideration, thepractice has been to seal the overlapped portions of the band at a pointbetween the stationary gripping means for one n th h m d he; r ta in drm to which is attached the other end of the band or at a point adjacentthe drum opposite the stationary gripping means. In either mode of usethe mechanical feature of the tool are such as to limit the toolsadaptability and usefulness. 7

Therefore the primary object of my invention is to provide a straptensioning device of a typ u ilizi a ro at ble. um. f n in t strap inwhich overlapped portions of the band are formed adjacent the statiQ JYipping means opposite the tensioning drum, such overlapped portionsreceiving the sealing means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a strap tensioningdevice having a gernerally U- shaped frame with a strap gripping meanson one leg of the frame and a rotatable drum for receiving an end of thestrap on the other leg of the frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a strap tensioning devicein which the frame is offset with relation to the rotatable drum and thestrap gripping means and in which the movable element of the grippingmeans is l -shaped to allow a reach of the tensioned strap to pass overthe gripped end of the strap in close proximity thereto so that aportion of the tensioned strap. adjacent said gripping means may overliea free extension of the gripped end of the strap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel strap grippingmeans particularly useful in combination with other essential elementsof a strap tensioningdevice,

These and other objects and advantages of the invention; will becomeapparent from a consideration of the disclosure and the followingdetailed specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of theassembled strap tensioning tool;

Figure 2 is a side elevation ofthe same;

Figure3 is a part-cross-sectional View of the tool of Figures 1 and 2showing the driving and locking pawls in retracted position;

Figure 4is a part sectional view of a modified form of tool showing thedriving ear in a modified position; and r Figure 5 is a perspective Viewof thev grip carins l 7 The tool consists generally of an inverted U-shaped frame l having legs H and I2 and an integral handle portion It.The lower end of the leg II is provided with an integral laterallyextending foot to rest on the peripheral surface of a box or: otherobject to be banded. Immediately above; the attached end of the foot arecess I9 is provided in the vertical wall of the frame. member toreceive the vertical portion of the L -shaped gripper which is pivotallycarried on the transversely extending bolt 22. As shown moreparticularly in Figure 5. the bolt 22 is provided, with an eccentricportion 23 so that rotation of the same. results in vertical movement ofthe gripper A laterally extending portion 2| of the gripper 20 overliesthe foot, 16 and is provided onits .lower surfacewith serrations 25 thepurpose of which is to engage and hold fast a reach of the strappingmaterial positioned between the foot l6 and the laterally disposedportion 2!.

.Ihe bolt 22 is providedwith a head 26 having thereon a diametricallydisposed slot 21 to which may be applied a tool for the rotatableadjustf;

ment ofthe b0111 The nut 28 securely locks the bolt in adjustedposition. As shown more particularly in Figure 2, the pivotal axis ofthe gripper 20 is placed to the right of the center of the gripper andis urged to counter clockwise rotatransversely extending shaft 32 andextends laterally from the side wall of the frame, 10 on the same sidethereof as the foot [6. The opposite end of; the shaft 32 carries .aknurled hand wheel 33 for the direct manual rotation of the drum.Centrally disposed within the slot of the frame l and keyed to the shaft32 is the gear 34 which meshes with a second gear 35 supported by thetransversely extending shaft 36. An operating handle 40 having a forkedinner end 4| is pivotally attached to the shaft 36 having the ends ofthe fork portion on opposite sides of the gear 35. Within the forked endthere is an operating pawl 42 pivotally mounted on the transverselyextending pin 43 and urged to operating position by the spring 44..Pivotally attached to the frame i0 is the locking pawl 46 carried on thetransversely extending shaft 41 and urged to operative position by thespring 48. 1

In operation the tool, or the foot l6 thereof, is

placed on the surface of a box or other object to I be banded and astrap 50 having an end extending beyond the foot [6 is positionedbetween the foot l6 and the gripper 20, wrappedaround the box, passedover the flange 2| and has its other end positioned within a slot 3| ofthe drum 30. Downward movement of the handle 40 results in rotation ofthe gear 35 the motion being transmitted through the operating pawl 42.The looking pawl 48 allows counterclockwise rotation of the gear 34 butprevents rotation in the other direction. Therefore, during the upwardmovement of the operating arm 40 the drum 30 is prevented from moving.After the seal has been made movement of the handle 40 tothe positionshown in dotted lines in Figure 2 and as shown in Figures 3 causes aportion of the operating pawl 42 to engage an extension 49 on thelocking pawl 46 to release the same. Such engagement also results incounterclockwise rotation of the operating pawl 42 against the action ofthe spring 44 and releases the pawl 42 from engagement with the gear 35.This allows the drum 30 to rotate freely, releasing the tension on thetool and allowing it to be removed. 7

Figure 4 illustrates a modified form of tool in which the operating gear35 is placed forwardly of the gear 34 instead of rearwardly thereof asshown in Figures 1-3. A modified form of looking pawl 53 is utilized.The pawl 53 is provided wtih a downwardly extending gear engagingportion 54 and an extension 55 to be engaged by a projection 56. Theforked end of the handle 40 is in the position shown in Figure 4 toretract the tooth 54 from engagement with the gear 34. In

this position of the handle 40 the operating pawl 42 is moved tooperative position by engagement with the stop 58 extending between theforks of the forked end 4| of the handle 40. The operation of themodified form of Figure 4 is identical with that of the first disclosedform except that the change in position of the operating gear 35 resultsin a path of movement of the handle 40 different from that in the firstform. Instead of the movement of the end of the handle 40 beingpredominately up and down the movement is more horizontal. A singularadvantage of the tool of this invention is that it may be used totension a strap about a wide variety of shapes and sizes of packages. Asindicated in Figure 2 it is only necessary that the foot portion ll; beplaced on the periphery of the package. This is true inasmuch as thearrangement enables a projected free end of the strap and a tensionedreach of the same to overlap at a point adjacent to but outside of thegeneral confines of the tool.

As many changes could be made in the above described constructionwithout departing from the scope of my invention the specific disclosureshould be interpreted as illustrative only and not 'in a literal sense.The invention should be deemed to embrace all within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is: V

1. In a strap tensioning device, the combination of a generally invertedU-shaped frame, a strap gripping device on one leg of said frame, saidgripping device comprising a flat member fixed in relation to said frameand a movable gripper having a flat lug overlying said flat member, astrap tensioning member on the other leg tending from said surface,means to rotate said drum to tension a reach of the strap overlying thesecond mentioned leg of said gripper, the periphery of the drum beingsubstantially tangent with the plane including the upper surface of thefoot.

3. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated frame memberhaving a pair of fixed spaced depending portions adaptedto rest on a boxor other object, a handle integral with said member and extendingoutwardly from one of said portions along the longitudinal axis of saidmember, said frame being provided with a vertical slot in the portionadjacent said handle, a foot extending laterally from the lower portionof the other of said portions, a recess in the side Wall of the other ofsaid portions above said foot, an L-shaped gripper pivotally mounted insaid recess and having a portion thereof overlying said foot, a straptensioning drum extending from the side wall of the frame portionadjacent the handle and longitudinally aligned with said foot overlyingportion of said gripper, said drum being carried by a rotatable shaftextending laterally through said slot, a gear in said slot keyed to saidshaft, a second gear in said slot meshing with said first mentioned gearand rotatably supported on a second shaft spanning said slot, anoperating handle pivotally 'mounted in said slot, on said second shaftand provided with a driving pawl to engage and rotate said second gear,a holding pawl pivotally mounted in said slot and adaptedto engage saidfirst mentioned gear, and

means including said operating handle to simul taneously disengage bothsaid pawls from their respective gears.

4. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated frame memberhaving a pair of fixed spaced depending portions adapted to rest on abox or other object to be bound, a handle connected with said member, afoot extending laterally from the lower end of one of said portions, anL-shaped gripper pivoted to the side wall of said portion and havingaportion overlying said foot, a rotatable strap tensioning drumextending from the side Wall of the other of said portions on the sameside as said foot, and means.

to rotate said drum'whereby a reach of the strap extending above saidfoot may be tensioned,said reach overlying another portion of said strapengaged between said foot and said gripper.

5. A strap tensioning device comprising'a unitary elongated frame memberhaving a pair of fixed spaced depending portions adapted to rest on abox or other object to be bound, means adjacent the lower end of one ofsaid portions to grip a portion of the binding strap adjacent one endthereof, a rotatable drum adjacent the lower end of the other of saidportions to tension said strap by winding up the other end thereof, ahandle secured to said frame member, an operating handle to rotate saiddrum pivoted on said frame member, both said handles extending above thelower ends of said depending portions.

6. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated frame memberhaving a laterally extending foot adjacent one end thereof and a handleextending outwardly from the other end thereof, a movable strap grippingdevice having a flat portion overlying said foot whereby a reach of thestrap may be gripped between said foot and said flat portion and asecond reach of said strap may overlie said first mentioned reach inclose proximity thereto, a rotatable drum on the side of said framemember between said foot and said handle adapted to receive the end ofthe said overlying reach of said strap, said drum being carried by ashaft extending into said frame member, means keyed to said shaft torotate the same, and a lever having a grip portion pivotally mounted onsaid frame to actuate said means, said grip portion being movable in aplane including said handle.

'7. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated framemember having a plane surfaced side and a foot extending laterally fromthe bottom of one end of said side, a handle extending outwardly fromthe other end of said member, a recess in said side above said foot, anL-shaped gripper having one leg pivotally mounted within said recess andthe other leg overlying said foot whereby a reach of the strap may begripped between said foot and said fiat portion and a second reach ofsaid strap may overlie said first mentioned reach in close proximitythereto, a rotatable drum adjacent said side and carried by a shaftextending into said frame member, means on said shaft to rotate thesame, and a lever having a grip portion pivotally mounted on said frameabove said handle to actuate said means, said grip portion being movablein a plane including said handle.

8. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated frame memberhaving a pair of spaced depending portions adapted to respectivelysupport a strap gripping device and a rotatable drum for tensioning saidstrap, said depending portions having side surfaces lying in a commonplane, said gripping device comprising a foot extending outwardly fromthe side surface of one of said depending portions at the lower endthereof, a recess in said side surface above said foot, an L-shapedgripper having one leg pivotally mounted in said recess and the otherleg overlying said foot whereby a reach of the strap may be grippedbetween said foot and said overlying leg of said gripper and a secondreach of said strap may overlie said first mentioned reach in closeproximity thereto, a handle on said frame at the end opposite saidgripping device, and means to rotate said drum comprising a leverpivoted on said frame member in operative relation to said handle.

9. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated frame memberhaving a laterally extending foot adjacent one end thereof and a handleextending outwardly from the other end thereof, an L-shaped gripperhaving one leg pivotally mounted on the side surface above said foot andthe other leg overlying said foot, a strap tensioning drum extendingfrom the side Wall of said frame on the same side thereof as said foot,said drum being positioned between said foot and said handle, a verticalslot in said frame adjacent said drum, said drum being carried on ashaft spanning said slot, a member within said slot keyed to said shaft,and means to rotate said member comprising a lever pivoted to said framein operative relation to said handle.

10. A strap tensioning device comprising a unitary elongated framemember having a laterally extending foot adjacent one end thereof and ahandle extending outwardly from the other end thereof, a movable gripperhaving a fiat portion thereof overlying said foot, a rotatable straptightening drum mounted on the same side of said frame as said foot andhaving its lower peripheral portion substantially longitudinally alignedwith said flat portion of the gripper, said drum being positionedbetween said foot and said handle, a vertical slot in said frame memberadjacent said drum, said drum being carried by a

